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TEAM WEEKEND FOR DELOITTE MINING SHARE SERVICES - 18 - 20 NOV 2011 AT AMERSFOORT Hi there Zanda
ADA SKILLS JAMBOREE 10/11 Sep 2011 for AFRICAN TWIN CLUB Notice: Recommendations for improvement have been extracted, logged, reviewed and incorporated
Wynand Wentzel
Skills refresher – was goed om weer die basiese dinge te hoor en in te oefen! Team building oefeninge was fun gewees. Ek dink dit sal selfs lekkerder wees as dit ‘n groep is wat ‘n mens ken. Ek glo die formaat kan werk. Veral as ‘n mens in ‘n groep oorbly en dan die aande kuier. Sondag outride – ek was nie daar nie en volgens die fotos lyk dit of dit lekker was.
Dave Hardingham
I was dreading it as I don’t like team building events, however I was wrong, I had lots of fun! Yes, you turned around my perceptions of team building, I would do it again and recommend it to others. What stands out for me is the camaraderie that comes from helping your team mates through difficult situations. We were working with strangers initially, later in the day we were working together as best buddies.
Skinny van Schalkwyk
Jamboree is laaik a very big word for this Afrikaans chicken!!! I wasn’t sure what the weekend was about. Got the invite to attend an AfricaTwin get together & wasn’t too sure if it was a club party or some fun or... Got scared when I saw all the obstacles, but was pleasantly surprised how easy everything was after I got the training. Even on Sunday morning when I saw that moerofa down hill & came to a screeching halt... nada! Then Judy came & talked some guts into me & I took the plunge. On the other side I just had to smile at how easy it actually was.
I’ve never thought anyone could teach me to ride on dirt AND MAKE ME SMILE AT THE SAME TIME! How wrong was I?!? I think the team building/team sports, together with the little competition made it fun & less stressful for me. I enjoyed the company & got so much support from everybody that I forgot how scared I was of dirt. I also didn’t want to let my team down & just dived into every activity regardless my fear. I know some of the faster/better guys wanted more bike time, but I think I got what I could handle over these two days. I would definitely suggest this to anyone that want to learn their first steps on dirt. Next for me is the beginners course!
How much this meant for my confidence (...on the bike & personally). The people was amazing & especially the chickens. Girls are not normally that friendly to a stranger & these chickens took me under their wings. Of course I will tell everybody how I rode into a deserted mine on a bike!!! Woop-woop!!! And I will keep krip-notes on my arms next time I go play in the dirt: Look up, elbows up, weight on the outside footpeg, RELAX! This will go down as one of my BEST weekends ever!
Johan Jordaan
I expected it to be a great fun weekend and expected to learn a few things, which is exactly what happened. Expectations were met as I almost always have fun on the bike and there is always someone who knows something that you don't. I was shown my mistakes (bad habits from riding enduro on a lighter bike that I can manhandle a lot easier) and must try improve on them. Practise makes perfect eventually. Also met fantastic new people.
So many memorible moments and they all put together one awesome memory. I personally enjoyed the individual skills challenge and technical outrides more as it suits my riding style better.
Paul von Zeuner (jnr)
Thank you very much for this weekend.
I have learnt so much this weekend and so many things are still buzzing in my head. When is the next run I have so much to try out.
About the expectations I was not sure what to expect and had a look at the (web) site and saw many things that was very intimidating. And getting to the place and the first thing you see is this amazing built obstacle course got the adrenaline pumping and intimidation set in. "Would I ever do half of that"
The ice breaker was a brilliant touch, it took my mind of all the things around and just allow you to have fun. The back to the basics was something that a new rider like myself really needed. There already the instructors have noticed many things that I am doing wrong for off-road riding. They also noticed that some setting on the bike was incorrect. And once changed it has made the bike ride a million times better. (I just now have to practice and get used to the CORRECT way to ride my bike).
Were my expectations met HELLZ yea it was. Having the courage to attempt the obstacle course was an amazing feeling. This I would say was the most memorable part of the weekend.
Thank you once again. I have such a blast.
Gary Nieuwoudt
To start off, I really did not know what to expect for the Jamboree, in fact I was a little nervous about the day, but Johan's professional team soon put an end to that. Thanks to Johan, Judy and Mark.
As I did not know what to expect, I was pleasantly surprised with how the day turned out. I had a lot of fun and learnt a lot. I am sure the rest of the guys in team D would agree that the day definitely boosted ones confidence and skills. Thank you to a great effort by team D. You guys were great right from 'passing the nana' until the end.
The most memorable thing I take from this weekend is how teamwork can inspire everybody. Another thing was to have confidence in yourself.
Ken Thrash
Day 1
Was not sure what to expect at all. However, I did expect the usual type exercises for the basic skills (the normal cones etc) which are part of the warm up and to assist the instructors to assess the riding skills of the participants. Also to refresh the basic skills (and I still learned something that I had forgotten from the previous training). Basic skills are soooo important. From the invite it is clear that it is a team building and team effort event, which is set in a timed environment and that there will be a bit of competition between teams. From previous training and knowing ADA - I knew there was going to be sand (99% of people do not like it so it must be part of any training event) so there was no surprise when we headed off to the sand pit, what I did not expect is the cones in the sand.
The team building events were really great fun and got the team members to get to know each other and it also helped to relax everyone, as a lot of the participants were very nervous to start with, due to the unknown.... After the team building and the refresher the participants were looking much more relaxed and talking and joking a lot more, which created a really nice atmosphere for the rest of the events. The skid pan events were good for the basic skills and now with a bit of competition thrown in made it even more interesting and you could see how riders were now making mistakes as they no longer had time to think of what to do. The sand pit was great especially with the added cones and nasty exit on the right before the turn around point. The rock pit was daunting at first sight but was actually more of a mind game that anything else. The recovery event was again good for team building, as there is absolutely no way any individual can do it on his/her own. The final skills test at the end was just to put EVERYTHING together in one race and was very well thought out and really got all the teams going and even other team members helping participants who got into trouble.
The individual team skills challenge was also well thought out as it showed everyone what can be done and how individuals were applying what they had learnt during the day. I think it was also inspiring for those who did not participate as they could now see that it is not only the instructors that can do it, but also their fellow participants, and something to look forward to trying themselves one day.
A great experience with people that I now know a lot better. I also know that I get carried away and make silly mistakes when riding against the clock, hence 4 errors in event 1!!!!! simply riding through the cones.
Day 2
Was expecting something sort of between DP1 and DP2 outride.
Was totally surprised with the terrain we rode on and where we were riding. By far exceeded my expectations and really pushed our riding abilities. What I will take away from the day from the riding point of view - getting up the steep rocky hill just after the second mine. I was right behind you so it helped with finding the line but I really K@Ked myself when I approach the very rocky section but was amazed how easy I went over it and just carried on riding.
What I will take away from a non-riding view - what a spectacular area and very interesting to see the 2 mines.
Henry Whitcomb
I thought it was an awesome day. You guys put in a lotta effort! I had much fun, despite my many falls. I thought it was more training and learning than a social, merry day. The venue was great, and the instructors made it an unforgettable day..
Claus Pille
It was well thought through, even better presented and the competition factor just pushed everybody a little more. Johan, two items I feel are worth mentioning. Since you kept us all in the dark on what to expect.... and you very much succeeded in that ...thank you very much!!!!
That way you put everybody at ease and maybe we would have had more ATASA members join. I myself was wondering beforehand if I shouldn't have done DP2 with you guys before letting myself in for the Jamboree.... as it turned out I was fine.
Otherwise we (Julie as well) had a really great time and I can't wait to see all the photo's. I will also do a write up from my perspective and post to the group.
OFFROAD RIDER SKILLS COURSE
Email to Mr Yoshiaki Nakamura at Honda SA - Sep 2011 Good morning Nakamura san, Last Saturday I attended the ADA Honda traning course at Hartebeespoort. Heine invited me to come and see what they do there, and I did the basic off-road course. I was surprised at how much I learned there. When I agreed to do the course I thought I would not learn much, but I would do a story for Dirt & Trail magazine anyway. I was surprised at how much I learned. Sometimes it is good to go back to basics. Heine's new set-up is very impressive. His instructors are excellent and very professional. This facility is a credit to Honda, and is certainly an industry leader, Regards, Clive Strugnell
DUAL PURPOSE RIDER SKILLS COURSE Hallo Marinus Theron Hello, I would like to sincerely thank Johan and his team for a superb experience on Saturday. The course itself was extremely informative and helpful. The instructors instilled confidence in the riders through some very tricky learning curves. The venue is fantastic and the food was delicious. I will definitely be back with my 450 (I am just waiting for my fiancé to get her own bike so that we can go on the course together) and then move onto the other courses for the dual purpose bikes. My finance has been on Jan Staal's course and she has been nagging me to go on a course, now I understand why. I am sure that the course will stand me in good stead for my future riding and I cannot wait to get out on the bike next weekend to put the knowledge to good use. .... My thanks and compliments to everyone who has been involved in making biking a very pleasurable passion. Koos van den Heever OFFROAD RIDER SKILLS COURSE
So we went for that off-road course .... Hi there, Back from an exhausting weekend – almost in 1 piece! JErnie & I did the off-road course at Gerotec this past Saturday with African Dream Adventures / Honda adventure academy. The nerves beforehand were as bad as my first time riding at Kyalami – my stomach was totally up in arms! (being totally new to offroading!!) When the groups were divided I decided not to join the ‘woman & children and new comers to off-road’ group, and joined the MEN instead, I mean – I can change gears etc.!! ha-ha From the very first exercise we did, I questioned my initial choice. “what were you thinking?? Idiot!!” Everything was different to what I’m used to on the superbike - Your body posture, seating position – or lack thereof!!, braking combined with moving body backwards, counter leaning (leaning to the outside of the bike), tight cornering, and then doing everything standing – oh, that took a lot to get used to!! With my first fall, I rolled quite a bit away from the bike, and Ernie seeing it, thought that I would not get up after that, he thought that would be the end of Jen’s training for the day, But when I got up with a smile, he was glad his ‘chommie’ is still with him for the day!! I kept up with the guys, although not as rough & tough as theirs, still managed to complete the exercises. With the drop off exercises (riding off at a height) I just completed the first 2 drops, where the guys completed 5 drop offs, the 5th one probably a meter high! Didn’t want to fall again – I thought… mmm! When we went into the terrain for steep inclines & declines we had to do quite some offroading techniques we just learned, riding in ruts & mud, And very soon the off-road track came to a steep decline with mud & stones – and like you remembered from my previous offroading trip – I froze right there of the edge, and could not Get myself down there. By now all the boys were already at our next nerve wrecking obstacle, and it was just me and one of the trainers left – By this time, Mark has become my best friend!! I asked how to do it, and he said ‘Bodyweight backwards with legs pushing back on the pegs and GO!!!’ And I wanted to know ‘WHAT BRAKE??’ And he said ‘NO Brakes!!’ I applied my mind and used the back brake And made it. Hie-ha!! A Few minutes late!! The ‘next nerve wrecking obstacle’ was going up & down 3 times using different brake techniques against a VERY high drop off – probably 3 meters high within 1,5 meters. Thus, a very steep incline – the inclines don’t freak me out – it was going down!! I used back, front and both brakes, and when I returned safely after all 3 ways, I missed seeing a rock and fell flat on my stomach – BOY, did that hurt!! I walked around in the shape of a question mark ? trying to walk off the immense pain. But cowboys don’t cry, ne!! Then we learned to do a recovery on the incline – if you cannot make the incline to the top, halfway up stall the bike, get it aligned not to roll back, then to turn it without the bike losing grip or sliding off, balancing everything only on 1 leg, and then starting the bike and riding down. I completed the exercise with ‘mind over matter’ – as I was squeezing my lips so tightly from the pain. I got quite an applaud from the guys when I completed this exercise, And it made my day. I was ready for the last exercise – the sandpit!! Ernie did it quite easily – as with all the other exercises – boy can that just pee you off!! Off course I thought I might make it, but just as I passed the first 4 meters I went down with a big plump into the sand – face first with my hands a close second next to my head. The sun visor of the helmet stuck deep into the sand, and my face made quite an impression in the sand! The trainers quickly got the bike up & ready for me – but at this stage I gave over, and told them to get their own bike out of the sandpit! Grandma was finished for the day! Kaput! J We thoroughly enjoyed the day!! The aches and pain somehow miraculously doubled over night, and grandma turned another century older on Sunday. Ernie enjoyed the day thoroughly, had 2 slight falls, and no aches & pains. For good measure he woke up this morning with a lousy cold – which made ME feel much better!!!! I can definitely recommend this sport – it’s fun and exciting, and could probably add a few years of aches & pains to your body, But nothing compares to the MILES of SMILES you get out of it!! Best regards Jeni (a.k.a. ‘grandma’) PS. Thanks Mark!!! You’re a STAR!! Please give Johan a big thank you too!!! Dear Heine and Johan (ADA) I can't thank you enough for the unbelievable experience that you and your team enabled us to be a part of this weekend. Keryn and I can't stop waxing lyrical to anyone that will listen about the advantages of correct training and how much we learnt in such a short space of time. All this without ever feeling rushed. Keryn asked me to thank you for allowing her to attend the courses and I would like to thank you personally for allowing her to join in too! She had a tough time but soldiered on none the less, while the look on her face when she conquered a challenge was priceless. I am very proud of her and her mental attitude certainly changed with the wise words from Johan. You guys certainly hold a great event and your recipe is spot on as far as i am concerned. Thanks again and I will try my best to do your wonderful course justice in print. Cheers Twiggy and EatMyKTM It was a great day and my boy really enjoyed it Please keep on doing these great courses Pieter Laubscher To all the Trainers & Support staff at Honda Adventure Academy Thank you so much for a really wonderful day. I got there knowing absolutely NOTHING about riding nor my motorbike. I did not even know how to put on my safety gear. By the time I left there at 13h30, I could ride my bike, I had discovered the bike had 5 gears, I rode through terrain that I would never have imagined I could. Most importantly, I gained confidence in myself and my bike. I cannot believe what the bike is capable of. When Johan asked us on Saturday what the silliest thing was that the attendees had done, I could not answer that question because I had not ridden my bike before. Well Johan, I do have an answer now – actually a couple – but I’ll share one, OK two. Instead of braking I accelerated and drove into a bush. I also stopped on top of a very steep incline and fell backwards. Thank you so much everyone, I thoroughly enjoyed the day. Kind regards Mags Myburgh Thanx to all @ ADA for the awesome day As a parent, what you see happening to your child in one day is mind boggling!! The way his confidence grew along with his self esteem, personality and many other things. The mind boggling thing is that, THIS growth is visible in one day. That is just awesome!!! Thanx to ALL at the Honda Adventure Academy(and Albie @ Menlyn Honda) for making a difference in my son, Theuns’s life!! A special word of Thanx to Eddie and Aldrich(If I remember correctly). GOOD JOB!!! See you soon!! Chris Botha (Billy)
Thank you ADA
What an excellent family bonding opportunity it was. We would recommend this to all. Helena I don't know who to contact in regards comments on the level of service at specific dealers could you please point me in the direction? Mark Southey We want to thank Honda so much for the Honda Off Road Adventure Day we attended yesterday. It was well organised and we both benefited by it. The guys REALLY leant alot. Thanks to you Margie, for making it possible for our friends Hugh and Jill Clarkson (who bought their Honda a while back) to attend. Hughie said he found out things about his Honda that he didn't know it was capable of. Is there a chance of us getting any of the photo's that were taken during the day? Thanks again. Keep up the good after sales service Honda! Regards Rod and Amelia Hunter Yesterday was truly amazing I am so glad that I was able to make it. It was a lot of fun, and I learnt a lot too. Your instructors have a wealth of knowledge. Thank you again. Jonathan I must say that it was a very pleasant experience and according to me a "Must" for each new CRV owner to attend.. They do not have to drive the course with their car but should at least attend. I learnt much more about the car that could be transferred in knowledge to me in the showroom as this was a practical hands on experience, I could actually test and experience the car and its features/capabilities. I also now know what the capabilities of the car are and realised that one cannot always believe what the journalists write in various magazines about the car. I must apologise that I am very bad with names but would love to have the name of the instructor. Once again thank you very much for a great experience! Regards Heinrich Coetzee |